Wallpaper

"SFA Today" is published by University Marketing Communications Monday through Friday (except for holidays) during the fall and spring semesters, and on Mondays only during the summer. Items must be received by noon prior to the day of desired inclusion.

To submit items to "SFA Today," use the online form or email sfatoday@sfasu.edu. The announcement should apply to a significant number of faculty and/or staff members.

News & Announcements

Library Survey: Your Library, Your Voice!

The Ralph W. Steen Library is conducting an important survey to obtain feedback from the university community regarding the quality of its services.

If you have not completed the survey, please take just a few minutes to do so here. Only you can tell us how well we are serving your library needs.

Students, please enter your SFA email address at the end of the survey for a chance to win a kindle fire! The survey ends Feb. 15.

Wisely Fellowship applications due in March

The School of Honors and the Office of Academic Affairs are pleased to sponsor the Wisely Fellowship.

The Wisely Fellowship is a one-year position that allows the successful applicant to interact with Honors students both programmatically and academically. Specifically, the Wisely Fellow will spend the fall building relationships with Honors students through programming. The Fellow will then offer a spring core course, uniquely designed for Honors students. For more information, see the Wisely Fellow website or contact Michael Tkacik at mtkacik@sfasu.edu.

Electronic applications are due March 17.

Capes and Crowns 1K and 3K

Get ready to get your kids active with this fun run! The Capes and Crowns 1k and 3k fun run will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 29, at the SFA intramural fields off Wilson Drive. Kids are encouraged to dress as their favorite superhero or princess. Each child will receive their choice of a superhero mask and cape or a tiara and wand.

Kids may choose between a 1K or 3K course and will receive a ribbon upon completion of the race. Parents are encouraged to run with their kids.

The cost for all participants (parents included) is $15. All proceeds will benefit the Freshman Leadership Academy’s trip to Romania this summer.

This is a fun run, and is not being chip timed. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs at (936) 468-7249 or email Adam Peck at peckae@sfasu.edu.

Sign up for the Mystery Run and you could win $500

This unique 5K run could pay off big time!

The first person or team to solve the mystery will win $500. Runners sign up as individuals, but can compete as teams. As you run the course, you will be given cards with clues on them. These cards include weapons, locations and suspects. As with the game "Clue," if you have it on your card, you can rule it out. At the end, each person will be able to use their cards to rule out as many suspects, weapons and locations as possible. Larger groups will have a major advantage. The first to turn in a correct guess wins! Participants are encouraged to dress up as their favorite detectives or characters from Clue!

All proceeds will benefit the Freshman Leadership Academy’s trip to Romania this summer.

The first 150 to register will be guaranteed a FREE T-shirt! This race is not chip timed.

This event will be held Saturday, March 29 at the SFA intramural fields off Wilson Drive. Check-in and packet pick-up will be on the day of the race only and begins at 4 p.m. The race will begin promptly at 5 p.m.

Culinary Café now open for spring reservations

The reservation system is now open for the spring Culinary Café. The student-run restaurant is open from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tickets are $10 and must be reserved in advance here. Seating is extremely limited, and dates sell out quickly, so get yours today. The Culinary Café is completely operated by the hospitality program at SFA, under the direction of Chef Todd Barrios and Dr. Chay Runnels. Additional faculty support is provided by Ms. Leisha Bridwell. For more information, visit the website or email Chay Runnels at runnelsc@sfasu.edu.

AAUW meeting

The American Association of University Women will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, at Regions Bank downtown Nacogdoches.

The association will have political candidates for informal discussions. Additionally, Dr. Shari Ellsworth will present "To Nacogdoches from New York."

Global Gateway to France

Global Gateway to France is a presentation on life and culture in France given by SFA international students and sponsored by the Office of International Programs.

Join us at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, in the Wyatt Room of the Ralph W. Steen Library. Refreshments and authentic French food will be served.

For more information, please contact the Office of International Programs at (936) 468-6631. Everyone is welcome!

SFA Gardens Lecture in New Conservation Education Building

SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, in the new Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. Jay White will present "Weed Free-Organically."

White is a gardener from Brenham. His love for growing things led him to pursue a master's degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University. While at A&M, he started "The Masters of Horticulture" blog to provide organic gardening tips for growing in Texas' incredibly variable and unpredictable climate. White is also a staff writer for Texas Gardener magazine. His potager has been featured on Central Texas Gardener, and his work on locally grown, sustainable, fresh cut flowers led to his inclusion in Debra Prinzing's latest book "The 50 Mile Bouquet."

Although traditionally held on the third Thursdays, the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series will now be held the second Thursday of each month. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public. Parking is available at the nearby Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center.

Min Kim to teach classes, choreograph for SFA Dance

The SFA Dance Program and Department of Kinesiology and Health Science will host Min Kim Feb. 13-15. She will teach master classes in traditional Korean dance, ballet and modern dance. In addition, she will set a work of choreography, "The Other One," for dance program majors and minors. The work will be featured in performance in the dance program's spring concert "Danceworks" in April.

Kim is on the dance faculty at the University of Texas-Pan American where she teaches choreography, dance performance and technique. Working in a variety of dance forms and interdisciplinary performance, she has presented her work in various venues in Brazil, Spain, Korea and throughout the U.S. In 2013, her choreography was selected by nationally renowned adjudicators for the Gala performance at the South Central Region's annual conference of the American College Dance Festival Association. She has been a guest artist at numerous institutions and companies including Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction, Arizona State University, Paradise Valley College, Desert Dance Theatre, Lynn Dance Company, Happendance Company and Georgia Ballet, and she has served as a guest teacher at the Beijing Dance Festival in China and the Samsung Culture Center in Korea. Kim received her Master of Fine Arts in dance from Arizona State University.

Campus Recreation

Last Day to Register for the Moonlight Sweetheart Paddle Trip

Monday, Feb. 10

Enjoy a romantic evening paddle and some tasty treats with your sweetheart this Valentine's Day! Let Outdoor Pursuits take care of all the details; you just get up the nerve to ask.

Cost of $15 includes round-trip transportation, rental of program and safety gear, professional instruction, Valentine's Day treats and trip guides. For more information or to register, please visit the Outdoor Center or call (936) 468-6055. Space is limited, so sign up today!

Last Day to Register for the Midseason Basketball Tournament

Tuesday, Feb. 11

1 to 5 p.m. in the Intramural Office

A midseason tournament is scheduled for Feb. 14 and 15. Cost is $20 per team. Eligibility will be based on sportsmanship and competitiveness of the team. Champions will also have entry fee paid to Regional Basketball Tournament at Texas Christian University, March 7 to 9. NO TRAVEL OR HOTEL will be covered this year due to budget restrictions. For more information, contact Cody Kuykendall at (936) 468-1775.

Massage Presentation

Tuesday, Feb. 11

6 to 8 p.m. in the Rec Meeting Room

The practice of using touch as a healing method derives from customs and techniques rooted in ancient history. It helps reduce stress and produces deep relaxation. Learn proper massage techniques from our certified massage therapist, Therese Hostetter. Be sure to bring a friend or significant other! Pre-register in the Rec Administration Office to save your spot, but walk-ins also are welcome!

Secrets of the Heart Lecture

Wednesday, Feb. 12

12:15 to 1 p.m. in the Multimedia Room at the Student Center, next to Starbucks.

Parents' Night Out

Feb. 14, March 28, April 11

SFA Campus Recreation is hosting three sessions of Parents’ Night Out programs during the spring semester for children ages 5-12. The cost per child is $20 and will include dinner and activities. Parents will drop their children off at 6 p.m. and are free to pick them up any time until midnight that night. For more information, contact Travis Lankford at (936) 468-6051 or lankfordtc@sfasu.edu or Cody Kuykendall at (936) 468-1775 or kuykendarc@sfasu.edu.

Love Your Genes Week 2014 “Your Body Feels Everything Your Mind Says”

Feb. 24 to 28

During the week of Feb. 24, SFA Campus Recreation, along with Career Services, Counseling Services, Office of Multicultural Affairs and Residence Life, will be hosting Love Your Genes Week in observance of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The week will consist of various programs and events on campus to promote and celebrate a healthy body image.

Love Your Genes Week addresses the serious problem of distorted body image, eating and exercise disorders, and will provide fun and educational programs that support and promote a culture of healthy self-image to SFA students, faculty and staff members. Included in the week will be T-shirt sales for $7, nationally renowned speaker Jess Baker, a blood drive, a Mindful Eating presentation, Mind over Madness Yoga, a Revolutionizing Selfies discussion, a jeans donation to the women’s crisis center, and much more. For the complete list of events and more information please visit the Campus Recreation website or contact Kate Bridges, fitness and wellness coordinator at bridgeska@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-5838.

Athletics

SFA cruises to 30th-straight home win

The SFA men’s basketball team cruised to its 30th-straight home court win and reclaimed sole possession of the NCAA’s longest active home win streak in a 74-54 thumping of McNeese State on Saturday evening inside William R. Johnson Coliseum.

SFA (22-2, 11-0 SLC) never trailed and led by as much as 25 points (41-16) as it broke its tie with No. 11 Duke for consecutive home wins, who played on the road on Saturday. The ’Jacks also picked up their 19th-straight overall win, which sits fourth in the country and one behind No. 5 San Diego State, who also won on Saturday.

Head coach Brad Underwood recorded his 22nd win at the helm, continuing to add to the most for a coach in their first season at SFA.

The ’Jacks placed four of their five starters in double figures and sophomore Trey Pinkney recorded eight assists against McNeese (7-16, 5-6 SLC). Senior Desmond Haymon recorded a game-high 19 points, as senior Nikola Gajic finished with 15 points. Both seniors made six shots from the field, as Gaijc did most of his damage behind the arc finishing five-of-eight. Gajic swiped four steals for a second-straight game to tie his career-high.Read More

Ladyjacks wrangle Cowgirls

After a heart-breaking loss in double-overtime on Thursday, the SFA Ladyjacks responded with a commanding victory over McNeese State on Saturday. The Ladyjacks dominated the Cowgirls 69-49 with another stellar shooting performance.

SFA (13-10, 7-4) shot better than 50 percent for the third time in the last four games, hitting on 26-of-50 from the field. The Ladyjacks had one of their best defensive efforts of the season as well, limiting the Cowgirls to just 25.8 percent shooting and only 5-of-25 from beyond the arc.

Junior forward Daylyn Harris had a career night as she posted her first double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Harris was 8-of-12 from the field. She was joined in double figures by junior center Porsha Roberts. Roberts had 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting after only taking one shot attempt in the first half. Roberts added five rebounds.

McNeese State (13-9, 6-5) got 18 points from Allison Baggett and 11 from Jaylin Johnson. No other Cowgirl scored more than seven points. Read More

Steiner tied for first after opening round in Louisiana

Sophomore Mackenzie Steiner notched the best round of her young career, carding 1-under 71 to sit tied for first among the individual standings at the LeTriomphe Collegiate Invitational. Steiner paced SFA through the opening 18 holes as the Ladyjacks are tied for sixth overall with a 21-over 309.

Steiner’s 1-under 71 is a new career-best, surpassing her previous low round of 74 set last spring at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate. She currently sits in a three-way tie with Louisiana-Monroe’s Alison Knowles and Grand Canyon’s Charlotte Jaengkit as the trio were the only ones to shoot under par in round one.

Senior Aliece Anderson sits second among the SFA competitors, carding a 6-over 78 through the opening 18 holes and is tied for 26th overall. She holds a two-stroke advantage on teammates Ann Holcomb and Piper Kyle, both of which shot an 8-over 80 and are tied for 46th with Rose Marie Henderson (10-over 82) rounding out the Ladyjack scorecard.Read More

SFA Track Shines in Alabama

The SFA track and field team traveled to Alabama this weekend to face one of the largest meets the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks have seen this season at the Samford Multi and Invitational and came away with a number of personal records and impressive finishes against teams spanning the South.

Again, the sprinters shined for SFA, highlighted by junior Brarysheyia Simpson in the 60 meters and 200 meters. Simpson won the women’s 200 meters Friday night with a time of 24.35 and backed that up with a third-place finish in the 60 on Saturday evening, clocking in at 7.56 seconds.

Simpson was not the only female sprinter to post fast times at the Birmingham CrossPlex. Hurdler Stephanie White ran a new Personal Record with a time of 8.79 seconds and finished fifth in the 60 meter hurdles. Multi-event specialist Shambrail Woods also ran her fastest time of the season in the hurdles, crossing in nine seconds flat.

On the men’s side of the sprints Trevon Caudle came away in sixth place in the deep field in the 60 meters. Caudle ran 6.99 seconds in the final

“This was a great pre-conference meet for us,” said Assistant Coach Ron McCown. “A chance to compete on the track in Birmingham was great to prepare for the conference championship here. We look forward to returning to Alabama in just over two weeks.”Read More

Ladyjacks Slip Against Islanders

SFA softball dropped a tight battle with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday afternoon by the final score of 5-2. The two Southland Conference schools tangled at the CenturyLink Classic hosted by Texas State for a nonconference game that saw the Islanders pull away after getting a pair of insurance runs in the seventh inning.

SFA (0-3) gave up three runs to start the game but bounced back with a pair of runs in the fourth inning with four straight singles to open the inning. Shalie Day drove in the two runs on her single down the left field line. TAMUCC (1-3) was able to add two more runs to its total in the top half of the final inning and the Ladyjacks were unable to respond.

Day led the Ladyjacks at the plate hitting with a 1-for-3 showing with two RBI. Taylor Vick, Elizabeth Arana and Brittany Lewis also all went 1-for-3 with Vick and Arana scoring on Day’s single. Lewis took the loss on the mound for SFA as well.Read More

Fine Arts

SFA School of Theatre to stage 'Blood Wedding'

The SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Theatre will present Federico García Lorca's "Blood Wedding" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 25 through March 1, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

Lorca's classic tale of passion, conflicting loyalties and vengeance plays out to an inevitably tragic conclusion. The play, originally written in Spanish, uses beautiful poetry to illuminate the convergence of love, lust and violence as the scene shifts from daylight to moonlit night in rural Spain, according to Rick Jones, professor of theatre at SFA and the play's director.

"At some level, this is a classic love triangle, with a young bride drawn inexorably to her former lover (now married) even as she prepares to marry another man," Jones said. "As both this brief background and the title of the play suggest, things aren't going to end well for the central characters or those who love them."

In "Blood Wedding," the language becomes increasingly more poetic, the acting style more stylized, and the environment more abstract.Read More

Jordan guest piano recital rescheduled at SFA

A performance by acclaimed pianist Dr. Krassimira Jordan has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, in Cole Concert Hall on the campus of SFA.

Jordan was originally scheduled to perform on Jan. 24, but the closure of the SFA campus due to inclement weather resulted in the cancellation of her recital that night.

Presented by the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music, Jordan's performance will feature the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt and Claude Debussy, according to Dr. Andrew Parr, professor of piano at SFA.

Jordan is currently an artist-in-residence and professor of piano at Baylor University and is regularly invited to present master classes for piano students at universities around the world. Highly regarded as a teacher, her students have won top prizes at numerous international piano competitions in the USA, Europe and Asia. Read More

Installation in SFA's Student Galleries will feature sound art

Sound artist Jason Flowers, a candidate for graduation from Texas A&M University - Commerce's master of fine arts program, will exhibit an installation of work beginning Monday, Feb. 10, in the Student Galleries of the Art Building on the SFA campus.

Although sound art is not new, it has recently gained legitimacy and attention in the art world through such shows as "Soundings," the Museum of Modern Art's first major exhibition of sound art, according to John Handley, director of SFA Galleries.

"Flowers' work contains many similar themes as those in that exhibition," Handley said. "His work was selected, in part, to explore this current trend." Some of the installations from the "Soundings" exhibition at MoMA can be seen on Youtube.

Sound has traditionally been the territory of live musicians. However since the advent of mechanical reproduction of sound and, more recently, the proliferation of mechanical/digital creation of sound, there has been an innate interest in bringing sound experience and creation of sound back into the physical tactile world, Handley explained. Flowers' accomplishes this by making sound the central element of interactive theatrical installations, he said.Read More

Concert will benefit Saslav string scholarship

Proceeds from an upcoming concert slated for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, in Cole Concert Hall on the campus of SFA will benefit the Isidor Saslav String Scholarship at SFA.

"Coleidoscope" is a series of collaborative chamber music faculty concerts honoring the SFA School of Music's invaluable patrons, Ed and Gwen Cole, according to Evgeni Raychev, cellist and SFA music faculty member.

"In fact, this concert could be regarded as a gesture of gratitude to the music patrons in our area," Raychev said.

The concert, titled "Mozart … & all that jazz …" will feature compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and will premiere jazz arrangements by Mike McGowan for voice and string quartet, Raychev said.